Author: KESQ

Jesus Reyes

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert launched an online survey to better understand the experiences and needs of the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ population and help steer future community programs. 

Every valley resident, full- or part-time, who identifies as LGBTQ+ is encouraged to set aside 30 minutes in October to complete the survey.

“At The Center, everything we do is driven by the needs, hopes, and lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the Coachella Valley.” said Center CEO Mike Thompson. “The Quality of Life Survey is an important opportunity for us to hear directly from those we serve – and those we’ve yet to serve – from across the valley. The insights we gather will help guide The Center’s future program priorities, inform where and how we expand geographically, and ensure our services reflect the realities of LGBTQ+ individuals and families across our region.” 

Survey questions relate to people’s experiences around accessing local services, connections to the community, personal safety, discrimination, and other topics. The survey can be completed anonymously, and responses will not be shared with others. 

The Center, working with consultants at HMA Community Strategies, conducted months of conversations and focus groups of diverse community members from every part of the Coachella Valley. The outcome was a survey that gets at the topics most on the minds of community members and questions intended to best understand their experiences. 

The survey is open through Oct. 31. The Center hopes to share preliminary results as they become available then follow with Community Convenings in early 2026 to share detailed findings.

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Shay Lawson

Watch the service below:

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – The community gathered to celebrate the life of philanthropist Harold Matzner was held Tuesday at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

The service featured tributes from family, friends and community leaders followed by a reception.

List of speakers:

• Carl Casazza , Vice President, Finance, CBA Industries• Garry Kief, President/CEO Stiletto Entertainment Group• Chief Andrew Mills, Palm Springs Police Department• Chairman Reid D. Milanovich, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians• Elizabeth Matzner, Harold’s granddaughter 

Matzner, who died at the age of 88 on Sept. 4 in Palm Springs from a brief illness, was affectionately known as “Mr. Palm Springs” and was chairman of the Palm Springs Film Festival.   

He was laid to rest on Sept. 10 in a private ceremony attended by close family members.

Matzner donated more than $85 million to local nonprofits, health care, education and arts for more than four decades, according to his website.   

Recipients of his donations included Eisenhower Health, DAP Health, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Springs Art Museum, Find Food Bank, LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert and McCallum Theatre.   

Matzner was also credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

He is survived by his partner Shellie Reade, his son Devin and his daughter Laura.

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Jesus Reyes

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (KESQ) – Former Rancho Mirage councilmember Dana Hobart has died at the age of 93, city officials confirmed.

Hobart was a member of the Rancho Mirage City Council since 2002. He served as the city’s mayor five times in those 19 years (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2020).

Hobart has been a major influence in the city during his time on the city council. As the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce noted, in his first year on the city council, Hobart initiated the move to eliminate all overhead electrical power lines throughout Rancho Mirage.

Other notable projects that Hobart was behind included:

He led the efforts to defeat Riverside County’s plan to eventually extend the City’s borders by 4,000 acres north of I-10, adjacent to Thousand Palms.

He was instrumental in solidifying the agreement with the Agua Caliente Tribe to annex their Casino and Hotel into the city, resulting in about $400,000 per year flowing to the City.

He eliminated employee “pension spiking” practices and reforming other pension and related benefits which continues to save the City significant sums in pension and other costs;

He led the efforts to completely discharge the City’s unfunded pension liability, which cost the City in excess of $500,000 per year in avoidable interest;

Hobart initiated the Rancho Mirage Observatory project

Mayor Ted Weill called Hobart “a pillar of Rancho Mirage, a man of vision, integrity, and extraordinary devotion.”

“His decades of service left a lasting imprint on our city through thoughtful leadership and a genuine love for the people he served,” Weill wrote in a tribute to Hobart.

Read Mayor Weill’s Full Tribute to Dana Hobart Below:

Yesterday, our city lost not only a dedicated public servant, but also a cherished friend.

Dana Hobart was a pillar of Rancho Mirage, a man of vision, integrity, and extraordinary devotion. His decades of service left a lasting imprint on our city through thoughtful leadership and a genuine love for the people he served. From guiding the undergrounding of utility lines to strengthening our financial foundation, and from championing cultural landmarks like the Observatory and Amphitheater to supporting community spaces such as the Rancho Mirage Dog Park, Dana helped shape a future we are proud to call our own.

To me, however, Dana was more than a leader. He was a mentor and a friend.

Our friendship grew over many years, through countless conversations and a shared belief in public service. Dana recognized something in me long before I saw it in myself. With quiet persistence and sincerity, he encouraged me to serve. His faith and guidance were the spark that led me to run for City Council and, eventually, to serve alongside him.

Working with Dana was one of the greatest privileges of my life. His passion was contagious, his intellect unmatched, and his principles unshakable. Even when faced with difficult choices, he led with humility and the conviction that government must always serve its people.

Dana’s legacy is etched into the very fabric of Rancho Mirage, but it also lives on in the leaders he inspired, the friendships he built, and the example he set.

Dana, thank you for your guidance, your encouragement, your friendship, and your lifelong commitment to this city we both love. Rancho Mirage is better because of you, and I am better for having known you.

You will be deeply missed, my friend. Rest in peace.

— Mayor Ted Weill

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Gavin Nguyen

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. (KESQ) – Conservation groups are asking visitors to leave no trace in Joshua Tree National Park as the park continues to be impacted by the effects of the government shutdown.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a nonprofit in Joshua Tree that works to protect the desert landscape. Ahead of the shutdown, a big concern from locals was that irresponsible visitors to the park could damage the landscape, which happened during the last shutdown at the end of 2018.

So far, the organization told News Channel 3 that there have been no reports of damage. “Visitors are being asked to follow Leave No Trace principles and to always recreate responsibly,” said a spokesperson with MDLT.

The organization took to social media with the same message last week.

News Channel 3 is speaking with MDLT and other organizations in the area as the shutdown approaches the one week mark. Stay with us for the latest.

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City News Service

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) – A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s order to send hundreds of California National Guard troops to Portland to replace troops from Oregon’s National Guard after the same judge blocked that deployment.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, an appointee of Trump’s from his first term, said the order basically flouted her original ruling from Saturday, in which she shot down the president’s argument that crime in Portland was out of control and necessitated a federal response.

“How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the TRO that I issued yesterday?” she asked an attorney from the U.S. Justice Department.

Immergut said the order violated a federal statute and the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which divides power between the federal government and the states.

The ruling also prevents the use of troops from any other state in Oregon.   

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who challenged Trump’s order in court, celebrated the ruling.

“BREAKING: We just won in court — again,” Newsom posted Sunday on X. “A federal judge BLOCKED Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to DEPLOY 300 OF OUR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO PORTLAND.

“The court granted our request for a Temporary Restraining Order — HALTING ANY FEDERALIZATION, RELOCATION, OR DEPLOYMENT of ANY GUARD MEMBERS TO OREGON FROM ANY STATE.

“Trump’s abuse of power won’t stand.”   

Earlier this year, Trump deployed California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to help protect federal facilities after violence broke out in June in response to the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. That move was assailed as unnecessary and provocative by Newsom and top Democratic officials in Los Angeles, including Mayor Karen Bass, and is also being challenged in court.

The troops ordered to Portland were part of that Los Angeles deployment.   

Newsom had said the number of troops ordered to Portland was 300.   

“At the direction of the president, approximately 200 federalized members of the California National Guard are being reassigned from duty in the greater Los Angeles area to Portland, Oregon,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said before Sunday’s ruling.  

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said Sunday that about 100 California Guard troops had already arrived in Oregon and more were on the way.   

Trump ordered Oregon’s guard troops to Portland on Sept. 28 to help local law enforcement amid what he has described as a serious crime wave in that city. Local officials disputed the accuracy of that assessment, and on Saturday Immergut agreed, saying the city has seen relatively minor street protests that did not rise to the level of urgency characterized by Trump.   

“President Trump exercised his lawful authority to protect federal assets and personnel in Portland following violent riots and attacks on law enforcement — we expect to be vindicated by a higher court,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said over the weekend.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called Sunday’s ruling “one of the most egregious and thunderous violations of constitutional order we have ever seen. There is no legal distinction between a state volunteering guardsmen to guard the border and volunteering guardsmen to guard a federal immigration facility.”

Miller added. “Either we have a federal government, a supremacy clause, and a nation, or we don’t.”

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María García

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — A three-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 10 is causing delays in Palm Springs.

The wreck happened just before 7:00 a.m., west of Palm Drive and Gene Autry Trail. According to early reports, two trucks, one hauling a trailer, and a white sedan were involved in the collision.

The left lane of eastbound I-10 is currently shut down, leading to a backup of at least one mile. Westbound traffic is moving normally at this time.

There’s no word yet on any injuries, and emergency crews remain on scene.

Stay with News Channel 3 for new updates.

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María García

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — A driver was rescued after a violent crash left their car overturned along Highway 111 in Palm Desert on Sunday night.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 111 and San Luis Rey, in front of the Tower Market.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said there were no injuries. One witness told News Channel 3 that they believe the car’s airbags likely saved the driver’s life.

During their investigation, deputies learned of a possible third vehicle involved, which had left the location prior to their arrival.

No arrests have been made in connection with the collision. The investigation remains ongoing.

Stay with News Channel 3 for new updates.

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Allie Anthony

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) – Today, county election offices will begin mailing ballots to registered voters for the upcoming special election. Proposition 50, a controversial redistricting measure, would temporarily strip the state’s independent redistricting commission of its power. It would shift that authority to the state legislature for the next three congressional elections.

Governor Gavin Newsom, who authored and is the leading proponent of Prop 50, introduced the measure in response to a partisan redistricting push by Republicans in Texas. If passed, the legislature would take over drawing district lines, effectively suspending California’s independent process through 2032. A “No” vote would keep the commission in place.

Ballots for the November 4, 2025, special statewide election are being mailed today to registered voters. To ensure your vote counts, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day.

The latest Emerson College poll shows 51% of voters currently support Proposition 50, indicating a closely watched outcome ahead.

For voters in Riverside County, a full list of in-person voting locations can be found here.

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Timothy Foster

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ)  – Nearly two years after the deadly Hamas attack on Israel, members of the Coachella Valley’s Jewish community came together Sunday to honor the victims and show support for those still affected by the ongoing conflict.

The Jewish Federation of the Desert hosted a community-wide memorial service at a Palm Desert temple, drawing residents, faith leaders, and civic officials from across the valley.

The event marked the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack that left thousands dead and ignited a war that continues today. Organizers said the ceremony served as both a memorial and a message of hope.

“This event is an opportunity for our community to come together, to honor the memories of those we’ve lost, and to offer hope and support in these difficult times,” said Danny Labin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of the Desert.

Federation leaders say the tragedy continues to impact Jewish communities around the world. The organization has joined other Jewish federations across the U.S. and Canada that have collectively raised more than $1 billion to support those affected in Israel.

Arnie Gillman, president of the Jewish Federation of the Desert, said the memorial was meant to bring people together in faith and solidarity.

“This is a community memorial — we wanted everyone to come together as one, to pray for those still kidnapped, and to support the families who are suffering,” Gillman said.

The Palm Desert ceremony is one of many similar events taking place nationwide, as communities remember the victims of the Hamas attack and continue to hope for peace in the region.

Organizers say they plan to hold a remembrance every year, keeping alive the message of unity, healing, and hope.

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Shay Lawson

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ)  – Travis Barker, drummer for Blink-182, traded drumsticks for running shoes on Sunday as he hosted the “Run Travis Run,” 5K at Civic Center Park.

Barker told News Channel 3’s Shay Lawson his goal is to get people moving.

“It’s really just about bringing the community together,” Barker said. “Getting everyone together and being active, whether you’re walking, even if you just come out and watch music or say what’s up. That’s what it’s about.”

Dozens attended and supporters said it was exciting running alongside the legendary musician.

“I think I did my best PR today, which was 19 something,” Barker said. “I think I came in 3rd or 4th place. That’s big for me.”

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